How to cut tiles with a grinder without chipping

Cutting porcelain tiles with a corner grinder: how to saw without chipping

Everyone who has ever worked with a cutting wheel, earthenware, ceramic, porcelain tile is well aware that the problem is not in the cutting. Such an operation is not particularly difficult. The problem is to learn how to cut porcelain stoneware with an angle grinder without chipping. In doing so, control the process at any stage of it, otherwise the expensive material will go to scrap.

It is best to cut porcelain tile using a guide rail as a support for the body of the angle grinder

What are the special features?

The use of a tile cutter is not without the subsequent refinement of the edge with sandpaper or a bar. angle grinder (angle grinder) speeds up the process and gives a clean cut, but you need to use the right techniques for this.

The decisive factor is the rotation speed of the wheel.

The higher it is, the smaller will be the size and number of small chips. A common mistake is to use a tool with a disc with a large diameter. According to the masters, it is easier and safer to use a small angle grinder, especially when making curved cuts.

Quality of the edge depends on several factors:

  • the accuracy of the cutting line
  • The reliability of fixing the material, the absence of surface movements during work;
  • The correct choice of the side on which the cut of the tile is made;
  • the tool used (disc).

Cutting technology depends on the characteristics of the material, the thickness of the tile and the configuration you want to give. The easiest way to perform a straight cut, to give a curvilinear shape will have to use special methods of work.

Important! To obtain the desired result, you will need to organize the workplace with a device for a firm fixation of the tiles and convenient access to the processed surface.

Can you cut tiles with an angle grinder

There is a special tool for trimming tiles. a tile cutter. But even its manual version, not to mention the mechanized one, is relatively expensive, that’s why it is inexpedient to buy a tile cutter for one-time work. Angle grinder, on the contrary, is a universal tool used to solve many problems, because it is available in almost every household.

And if the tiling performs itself homeowner, it is more logical to use this tool.

In addition, the angle grinder, unlike the tile cutter, you can make round holes if you do not have the appropriate accessories for the drill. a cylindrical drill bit (drill bit) or a ballerina.

Why porcelain stoneware is so difficult to work with

The structure and physical-mechanical properties of porcelain stoneware do not allow it to be processed with tools of a wide Spectra. In spite of the absence of the usual glaze on the surface, in the process of cutting is very likely the formation of chips, spoiling the appearance of the edge.

The high-quality porcelain stoneware is rectified during production, when the tiles are cut “to size” by means of hydro-abrasive cutting, which eliminates the inconsistency of sizes and curved edges. The same method can be used for cutting porcelain tiles on the installation site, for which it is very convenient to use electric tile cutters, in which the bottom part of the diamond disc is immersed in a bath with water.

An alternative method involves the use of handheld tile cutters of a special type. Do not be surprised, but even with a thickness of 30-40 mm of porcelain stoneware, this tool copes well with its processing, forming an even edge without chips. All because the material has a highly homogeneous structure and behaves just like an ordinary ceramic tile after it has been scored.

Both of the above methods have a significant drawback: they require the use of special equipment, which costs a lot of money and can not be used anywhere else. Therefore, for home masters who intend to lay out of porcelain tiles in the entrance island in the hallway, buying a tile cutter is not an option.

Is it possible to cut tiles with an angle grinder?

For sawing is more effective to use the tool intended for this purpose. a tile cutter. But if you do not want to buy it “at once”, you can use an angle grinder. Cutting with it will take longer, has a number of specific features that should be taken into account.

An angle grinder with the most common disc diameter of 125 mm will do the job for you.

Cutting porcelain tiles with a tile cutter

The most efficient way to process porcelain tiles is to use specialized electrical equipment.

Professionals, who have to process large volumes of hard tiles, work on a cantilever electric tile cutter with water cooling.

Is it possible to cut porcelain tiles with a handheld tile cutter? You can, but there are limitations. For example, with this tool, you can not cut strips larger than 0.6 cm. Tile thickness for most tile cutters should not exceed 12mm. Well, to perform a large amount of work will be quite time consuming.

How to cut porcelain tiles with a tile cutter

Electric motor speed

The second important thing that determines the quality of cutting hard materials is the speed of the disc. The higher the speed, the more intensive the effect, the easier the edge engages in the ceramic.

When you go fast, the tile doesn’t have time to glaze, which also reduces the number of chips, so you need a powerful angle grinder, but compact at the same time, so you can control it quickly.

A few tips

To cut the wall or floor covering after cutting off the desired size and look neat and without splinters, you need to approach the process of cutting and cutting responsibly. To ensure the smoothest edge possible, be sure to follow these guidelines:

  • Always cut tiles from the front side. this reduces the chance of chipping and cracking from the outer edge, but only when working with a quality cutting disc.
  • Do not immediately plunge the cutting disc deep into the body of the material. First go through the glaze, and only after that you can proceed to a full cut.
  • When lowering the rotating disc to the cutting surface be careful not to accidentally damage the glaze.
  • No need to apply force when cutting, the weight of the grinder is enough for a precise cut, your task is to stick to the right direction.

Advantages of Using a Grinder to Cut Tiles

If you do not have a tile cutter, you can cut tiles with an angle grinder. It allows you to:

  • cut tiles in different configurations;
  • Cut tiles of any thickness and hardness;
  • Cut the glued tile.
  • Every tile manufacturer is sure to have a Grinder, so you don’t need to buy a tile cutter or other tool for cutting the material.

If there is no tile cutter, you can cut tiles with an angle grinder

How to cut tiles with an angle grinder without chipping and dust

In order to reduce the number of chips adhere to the following rules:

  • Cutting begins with the front side. The most splintering occurs when the cutting wheel leaves the material.
  • At the beginning and at the end of the passage reduce the speed of the disc.
  • Carry out the cut in one pass. The number of chips increases with each additional pass.

The amount of dust is minimized as follows:

  • They only cut a shallow groove, then break the tile. When you cut a glazed surface, not much dust is generated, and almost all of it is released when you cut the main body of the tile.
  • Water is fed into the cutting zone, as described above.
  • Use a construction vacuum cleaner. You will need an assistant to operate it.

Gourmets of quality and refinement

It’s no secret that there is a special category of customers who can be called quality gourmets. They are ready to pay a lot of money for the work to be done to perfection. Such a customer is unlikely to be convinced that a high-quality cut of porcelain stoneware can be made by hand. Water cutting of porcelain tiles, or hydro-abrasive cutting can come to the rescue. This is a modern technology that allows you to cut porcelain tiles with the highest quality. This operation is not performed at home, as it requires special equipment. The main disadvantage. the high cost of this work, which is likely to be unaffordable for the average customer.

tiles, grinder, chipping

Waterjet cutting of porcelain stoneware

The thickness during waterjet cutting can be up to several centimeters, and the product does not need any additional grinding. A great advantage of this method is the possibility of high complexity of cut, which is impossible using manual methods. And the complexity is not only in terms of the pattern of the cut line, but also in terms of the width of the parts to be cut. Waterjet cutting of porcelain tiles allows you to cut a detail at an acute angle to the edge of the tile, cut thin elements, cut holes and other complex cuts. Thank to it becomes possible to create drawings, mosaics, panels and other images from porcelain tiles of different colors. Since the cut controls the computer, it is possible to fit the mating parts with perfect accuracy. Indeed, gourmets will get the desired result.

tiles, grinder, chipping

Cutting tiles without chipping

To reduce the number of chips to a minimum, try to adhere to the following rules when working with the tool:

  • Linear cut. Draw a marking on the front of the tile with a construction marker. Make sure that the disc is properly clamped in the direction of rotation indicated on the grinder and on the wheel. Put the angle grinder in working condition and let it gain working speed. To fix the tile through the pad of rubber with clamps on a flat surface so that during the cutting process to exclude its sudden change of position. According to the line of the marking without effort to make a uniform cut of 2-4 mm in depth, based on the thickness of the glaze and the body of the tile. Pass over the glaze to make very slowly and as responsibly as possible, after this step, you can apply little pressure and bring the process to completion. And also there is a variant not to cut the body of the tile to the end, and the cut edge can be broken off and the edge can be finished off with an abrasive.
  • Make a circular hole with a large diameter. Apply a marker to the point that will be the center of the circle. Then use a drill bit with a pobedite tip to drill a hole 3-4 mm in diameter through the place of the marking. Now on both sides of the tile it is necessary to draw the marking of the circle with the desired diameter. Then, using an angle grinder to make short 2-3 mm notches on the contour of the marked circle, only after that you can cut the circle from the inside through cuts, and remove the remains with pliers. For complete removal of chips, the edges of the hole must be processed with a file and sandpaper.
  • Rectangular hole. To make a linear marking of the hole with a marker and a template, then on the corners, not protruding beyond the marked outline, drill through holes with a diameter of 7 mm. After that, use an angle grinder to connect the holes with even cuts. Now you can remove the cut ceramic fragment, and the edges can be processed until the chips disappear.

If desired, you can cut a hole of any diameter and shape in the body of the tile, especially in today’s building world, there are all sorts of accessories and attachments for angle grinders. The one thing that should never be forgotten is to observe the necessary safety precautions when working with an angle grinder!

Safety precautions when working with angle grinders

angle grinder refers to dangerous power tools, in case of improper use of which you can get injured. When you are cutting, the rotating disc produces splinters of dust and flying debris. That’s why protective equipment is used when cutting tiles with an angle grinder:

  • a thick body suit, which should cover the body, legs and arms;
  • Special glasses, preferably a mask to protect the whole face;
  • gloves or gloves.

Before you begin, the angle grinder is checked for serviceability:

Cutting discs can be replaced only after disconnecting the tool from the power supply. After replacing the part, check that it is securely fixed, free of defects, disconnect the special key. Only after these steps can you reconnect the angle grinder to power.

Is it possible to cut a metal tile floor tile with a disc

What kind of disc can cut the work on metal, move the tile on the desired. My number is [link blocked by decision of the administration] Look here. Generally, you can cut it off with a disc How to put a floor tile correctly yourself.

Cutting a tile correctly

Except when the tile is already glued, there is a tool that can cut the tile or make a specific cut, the hole is easier and faster than an angle grinder.

Consideration of the reasons for using an angle grinder and recommendations for using a particular cutting method are beyond the scope of this article. Only the cutting methods of the angle grinder are discussed here. Different types of cuts: straight, curved, barking. It is preferable to use a small angle grinder with the ability to adjust the speed.

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The light weight will allow you to perform operations more accurately. No great power is required when cutting.

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For any operations with tiles, power up to 1 kW is quite enough. But it is desirable to be able to reduce the speed for some operations. Reducing the speed will reduce the likelihood of chips, cracking tiles. When choosing an angle grinder it is recommended to pay attention to the possibility of speed control.

Here is a close up illustration of the speed controller. At the landing place is optimal angle grinder on a disc size of mm. Generally speaking, it is possible to cut with a wheel of any diameter. Reducing the rotational speed is critical in certain situations, as will be described below.

Hallway repair

The smaller the cutting wheel, the more jewelry you can perform, on the other hand a small cutting wheel is not effective for a large amount of work. the wheel will quickly wear out. A powerful, heavy tool, on the other hand, quickly causes muscle strain and reduces accuracy and precision as a result. In summary, a medium-sized, variable speed tile tool is better for tile work.

    Is it possible to cut floor tiles with a metal disk?

Generally speaking, you can cut with any wheel. The question is how to cut with the right level of quality, with minimal effort and expense. The first disc in hand can leave too many chips, break the tile or quickly fail.

But in case of extreme need and without quality claims, you can also cut with this. To cut tiles with an angle grinder, it is recommended to use only steel discs with a diamond coating with a thickness of 2 mm or more. Thinner diamond discs are used in machines. When using them with a hand-held tool, the probability of shocks and jerks increases, resulting in damage to the facing, destroying the disc.

Example of diamond cutting discs: segmented, solid, combined. To reduce chipping, it is desirable that the height of diamond dusting should be greater than the thickness of the material being cut. It is important to monitor the condition of the disc when working. Replace the disc at the slightest damage. Otherwise, working with a defective disc could lead to splintering, tile breakage or a tile breakage of the disc itself that could lead to injury. A variant for minor defects is sparking while cutting.

there should be no sparks, sparks mean that the metal substrate is fouled, which means that either the diamond coating is worn out or a metal baffle or chip is formed. You can try to grind the defect on the stone, plaster, concrete.

How to get rid of dust?

Large amounts of dust are an inevitable part of tile or tile cutting. There are two ways to get rid of dust:

The first option is ineffective, because the rotation of the disc at high speed gives the smallest particles of material more speed and energy. There’s simply not enough time for the vacuum cleaner to catch it. Moistening gives the best result. It is done by filling the notch with water, going over it with an angle grinder and repeating the procedure. Another option is to apply water through a thin tube to the disc or work area. This is the most efficient way to keep the disc cool and keep the dust from blowing around.

Safety Technique

The following requirements must be followed to ensure safety when cutting tiles:

  • Use a dust cover;
  • Hold the angle grinder firmly, do not rotate it vertically;
  • Appropriate PPE. protective clothing, goggles, respirator, gloves, etc.д.;
  • Work in the open air or in a well ventilated place.

In addition, it is necessary to observe electrical safety precautions, not to use defective tools with damaged insulation of the body and the wire. Before you cut the tile with an angle grinder, you should prepare the workplace, ensure appropriate conditions. lighting, ventilation, etc.д. Compliance with these simple rules will allow you to avoid injury and perform the work without damage to health.